Hematological Studies on Mammals from Alaska

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

It is evident, according to Downey (1938), that hematological studies on mammals other than the common laboratory and domestic forms are relatively scarce. The comprehensive tabulations in the appendix of Wintrobe's (1953) work on hematology show the dearth of information in this field. During the course of a research problem dealing with the physiology of arctic animals, considerable hematological data were obtained from a variety of mammalian specimens. The work of Slane and Wilber (1952) on the hematology of the red backed mouse, Clethrionomys dawsoni from central Alaska, is the only recent contribution to our knowledge of blood cells in wild Alaskan mammals. In order to keep interested investigators informed, this report on blood counts, differentials and erythrocyte measurements from a number of mammals collected in Alaska is presented. Species.—The following species were studied in this investigation: Hudson Bay ground squirrel, Citellus parryii parryii; Yukon ground squirrel, Citellus osgoodi; Alaska red squirrel, Sciurus hudsonicus petulans; MacFarlane meadow mouse, Microtus macfarlani; black bear, Ursus americanus; ochraceous wood-chuck, Marmota monax ochracea; snowshoe hare, Lepus americanus; cottontail rabbit, Sylvilagus sp.; Richardson weasel, Mustela erminea richardsonii; north-western muskrat, Ondatra zibethica spatulata; Alaska porcupine, Erethizon epixan thum myops.